Bottlenose dolphins: our smart, sociable stars of the sea

Dolphins species:

Least concern (Around 600000 remain)
Tursiops truncatus

Affected by:
Climate change
, Fisheries
, Pollution

These clever, streamlined mammals are found in most of the world’s oceans, including around the UK. By protecting marine dolphins like these we’re helping keep our seas healthy – which is good for all the other wildlife, and billions of people, who rely on the sea for their survival.

Bottlenose dolphins are generally social creatures that live in groups called ‘pods’, which can contain hundreds of individuals. They sometimes hunt in groups with other dolphins too.

By producing clicking sounds and interpreting the returning echoes (‘echo-location’) dolphins can tell the size, shape and speed of objects underwater – that’s how they catch fish, squid and other food.

Threats to dolphins include accidental capture in fishing gear – known as ‘bycatch’ – and also pollution, shipping and other risks at sea.

Lyndsey Dodds
Head of UK marine policy

"There are few animals that capture the imagination as much as dolphins. I’ve been lucky enough to see dolphins all around our coasts of the UK – many people don’t realise they can be spotted here! I’m passionate about our work to ensure proper protection for dolphins and other marine wildlife and the habitats they depend upon."

Where dolphins live

Bottlenose dolphins are found in most seas outside of the polar regions. You can spot them around the UK too: Scotland is actually home to the most northerly pod of bottlenose dolphins in the world.

Why dolphins are so important

Dolphins play an important role in keeping their environment in balance. They eat other animals – mainly fish and squid – and are themselves a source of food for some sharks and other creatures.

Without dolphins, the animals they prey on would increase in number, and their predators wouldn’t have as much to eat. This would disrupt the natural balance in the food chain and could negatively affect other wildlife and the health of the ocean environment.

By protecting dolphins we’re helping look after our oceans – and that’s good for all the wildlife and billions of people who depend on the sea.

Challenges affecting dolphins

Unsustainable fishing

Dolphins can get accidentally caught in fishing gear. This ‘bycatch’ causes the deaths of over 300,000 dolphins, porpoises and whales every year. Overfishing is also reducing the numbers of fish left for dolphins to eat.

Challenges affecting dolphins

Shipping and marine industries

Shipping traffic around the UK is among the busiest in the world. As well as the risk of collisions with dolphins, the noise from ship engines can disrupt dolphin behaviour and navigation, sometimes fatally.
Other disturbances at sea – oil and gas extraction, seismic surveys, pollution etc – can directly affect dolphins’ health, as well as damaging the ocean environment in general.

Challenges affecting dolphins

Threats from climate change

Global ocean temperatures have risen by 0.7°C as a result of climate change, which can lead to changes in habitat range for many dolphin species. This is a particular problem for species such as Hector’s dolphin, which is highly specialised to their current environment and cannot adapt to any range change. Changes can also lead to a decline in krill populations, a vital food source for many dolphins and other ocean species.